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The
Large Square is the historic center
of Sibiu, first time mentioned in 1411
as corn market. The public executions
and public meetings used to be held
here. In 1538 documents mention here
a fountain, and in the 1550 the infamy
pillar is erected, to be removed only
in 1783. In 1703 the county leader Johann
Sachs von Harteneck is beheaded in this
square. Between 1724 and 1757 a 'cage
for crazy people' was put in the middle,
where were barred, during the day, those
who troubled the town during the night.
The statue of Nepomouk was rised in
1734 and moved away in 1948 by the new
regime. Between 1948 and 1984 the Large
Sq. was transformed into a flower round
lawn and at the same time the statue
of Gheorghe Lazar was erected in the
middle.
From here is the best shown the 'city
eyes' the windows from the roofs.
The square has a length of 142 m and
a wide of 93 m, being one of the largest
in Transylvania.
The southern side of the square is declared
architectural monument with preserved
medieval styles. The most important
building is at number 10, the Haller
House built in 15 century. This house
was the property of the Haller family
for 345 years.
At number 8 is the Hecht House (15 century)
and corner with Magheru Street is Fileck
House (1802) one of the most impressive
building in town.
The north side of the square is dominated
by the Catholic Church and corner with
Avram Iancu Street stands the Council
Tower.
On the east side the most important
building is Weidner-Reussner House with
the original portal dated 1652.
Facing west is found the beautiful Brukenthal
Palace (1789) which hosts the Brukenthal
National Museum, and next is the Blue
House, a baroque building from the 18
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| ARCHITECTURAL
MONUMENTS |
The
Brukenthal Palace
 The
Brukenthal Palace is one of the most
remarkable monuments in late baroque
style in Romania. It was erected between
1778-1788 as an official residence for
Samuel von Brukenthal and as a shelter
for his collections.
The palace has a rectangular plan, closing
inside it an interior yard. The access
is done through a portal placed flanked
by a column with Baroque urns above.
The stone framing of the portal is decorated
with plastic art elements among which
we mention the golden coat of arms of
the governor. The portal was made by
Simon Hoffmeyer, sculptor from Cluj.
The fa?e is realized in Baroque style
and presents decorative elements.
From the first yard another portal made
the connection to the second yard where
are raising the buildings realised during
the second stage of construction, between
1786-1788.
The Baroque halls - the old reception
and music rooms of the Palace - on the
first floor preserve the original canvas
and silk wall, the Rococo and Neo-classical
white stoves and 18th century Transylvanian
marquetry furniture.
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The
Blue House, Piata Mare no. 5
 A
building in Baroque style with the old Sibiu
coat of arms printed on its front.
After 1672, the house belonged to the chemist
Georg Vette and then the property being bought
by the baron Lambert von M?ger. It used to
host theater performance between 1768 and
1783. At the same time, an opening was made
towards today Xenopol Street. The magistrate
of the town acquired the house in 1810 and
after 1819 it has housed the seats of some
authorities, like The Law Academy, then The
Society of Natural Sciences, later one it
was a boarding school for girls and during
the second World War the headquarter of the
Gestapo.
Nowadays in the building is functioning The
Zone Laboratory of Patrimony Restoration,
as part of Brukenthal Museum.
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The
House of the generals, Piata Mare no. 7
 The
building has its origin in the second half
of the 15-th century, when it had been the
property of Horwath family. The right part
of the house passed in the 16-th century in
the possession of the royal judge Albert Huet.
In 1779 the building was acquired by the magistrature
and, between 1784-1904, it was the residence
of Transylvania's military general commander,
who gave the name of the building the House
of the General.
The passage to the Arhivei street was opened
in 1558 and amplified in 1775 when the building
was amply changed.
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The
Hecht House, Piata Mare no. 8
 The
building belonged to Mayor Georg Hecht, who
defeated the Turks at Turnu Rosu in 1493.
The House Hecht is one of the ancient buildings
in the Large Sq., preserving Gothic and Renaissance
details.
The windows on the first floor are adorned
in their upper semicircular lunettes with
circled motives in relief. On the left of
the arched passage of the ground floor, a
Renaissance door framing is embedded, richly
decorated with elements of plastic art. The
passage has pavement in wooden slabs. Some
rooms of the two floors still preserve Gothic
elements.
The house first belonged to an Italian, Christophorus
Italicus of Florentia. His son sold the building
to the future mayor Georg Hecht, in 1472.
This owner changed the building to the actual
look.
In 1595, the house passes in the possession
of the mayor Johann Waida. The door in Renaissance
style belongs to this period. For a long time,
there had lived Saxon county leaders, but
in 1821 the Saxon University bought the house.
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The
Haller House, Piata Mare no. 10
 Built in Renascence style
it preserves from the old edifice built in
15-16th century the arches, decorations, doorframes,
and the portal with blazon.
The building was property of senator Hieronymus
Schneider, then was property of Michael Greb,
then in 1490 was bought by Johannes Agatha,
and in 1524, it passes from Servatius Holzschuch's
property in that of Michael Altemberger's,
who, in 1537, sells it to the county leader
Petrus Haller. The new owner changes the old
building into the exiting one. Haller family
will be the owner of the building for 345
years.
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The
Lutsch House, Piata Mare no. 13
 Before
1830 this building was one of the most remarkable
in Sibiu with its main element, a four storeys
tower. The edifice is dated from the 15-th
century with major transformation made in
1830.
Before 1424, there was a seat of the prepositum
from Sibiu, and after that, in the house built
in this place, the high officials of the kingdom
visiting Sibiu were sheltered. The house became
then the property of Altemberger family, and
in 1537 it was bought by the county leader
Petrus Haller, whose sons conceded the building
to Johann Lutsch in 1593. In 1661 Georg Reussner
buys the house, and his successors donate
it to the town.
The building housing at present the Frankfurt-Bucharest
Bank as well as the seat of The Democratic
Forum of the Germans from Romania.
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The
House Weidner-Reussner-Czekelius, Piata Mare
no. 16
 The
building called the House Weidner-Reussner-Czekelius
after its owners, is dated from 16-th century.
The main portal ressamble the one found on
Haller house with the halberds and armours
reappering in the tympanum of the arches.The
coat of arms of the mayor Johann Reussner
is centrally placed. It was accompanied by
the date 1652, as well as by the monogram
of Elias Nicolai. When passing to the yard,
a door framing is carved in stone. The construction
presents two interior yards, the parts of
the building situated along the yards are
from 19-th century.
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THE HISTORIC TOWN
